Rockwell Plans To Double Cost Of Software For Small Users

[BobLfoot 301]

I am sure this topic would have been dumped from the now defunct RSlogix Forum, but it may stand a chance here in the free world. In case anyone has yet to figure it out Factory Talk Activation will actually mean you get half the software functionality you had with the old master disk program. With the master disk scheme you could install logix on PC1 and activate it and use it. You could then install logix on PC2 and use your master disk to activate and use it. This meant you got two {2} simultaneous working copies of the software for the $ you spent. Now for the same or slightly more $ {it is improved after all and should cost more - note sarcasm here} you get only one useable version of the software. Maybe I am just an old scrooge, but I think Rockwell owes us a 50% off sale for all Factory Talk Activations sold. BobLfoot

[gravitar 3]

I'm not sure I'm following you.. When you buy a floppy-activated RSI package, you can install the software on as many computers as you want, but you can only use it on whichever computer is holding the activation. Not sure how you can (legally) have two concurrent sessions running. The way you describe it would only work if the master floppy had two activation licenses on it.. Which would imply that two copies of the software product were purchased

[BobLfoot 301]

When you have a floppy activated RSi package you can have two concurrent PC's running it. The PC to which you moved the activation {PC1} and the PC which has the empty master disk {PC2}. Hence with factory talk Activation you only get one running copy.

[TimWilborne 108]

Is it possible you had two activations? I just tried to run RsLogix 5000 on my old laptop with the empty disk and it didn't work. Unless there is some secret I don't know about. Watch out with "secrets" though, the moderators here frown upon things like cheats and illegal serialz or anything that remotely resembles them. You can post mostly anything here good bad or ugly about a product, but they will get you on posting anything about serials, illegal warez, and ways to bypass passwords.

[Gerry 13]

What Bob is talking about is no secret. It's documented.....somewhere. You may have to hold <ctrl> <k> while the splash screen is up to make it work, if you don't have the floppy drive in your checkdrives path.

[Bob O 8]

You can get RSLogix500 I know of to boot of an empty activation disk but for the life of me can find it in the help file or in the knowledge base. There was something in the help files about this if I could just remember where to look.

[Ken Moore 23]

So... I'm not sure if using the master disk as a second key is legal or not, I guess you would have to read the details of the EUA to find out. ( I never have)

[TimWilborne 108]

Well I don't know whether to be upset with Rockwell for taking that 2nd activation away or with me for being and idiot and never realizing you can do it. Guess I'm not really loosing anything

[gravitar 3]

I never knew that either! Of course Rockwell would say they aren't "taking anything away from us", because they wouldn't consider that to be legitimate use of the software anyway. Well, on the bright side I guess, We have a few more revs of software to go before we're totally out in the cold.. (CPR 7 currently, CPR 10 = FactoryTalk only, right?)

[TimWilborne 108]

And actually, even though apparently you did get two user license, the part number is pretty specific that you only get one so I guess you can consider it a perk being taken away more than an actual license

[Ken Roach 194]

From the RSI End User License Agreement: RSI and its third party licensors grant to You a non?exclusive license to install and use the Software on either: (a) a single computer, or (b) a network server for access by one user, by way of terminal or computer attached to the network server. Should You choose to install the Software on additional computers, or increase user access via a network server, You must first acquire a license for each additional user who will use the Software, with the understanding that at any one point in time (and regardless of the number of media sets included with the Software), the number of users who are permitted to use the Software may not exceed the number of single-user licenses you have acquired. Edited 30 Mar 2006 by Ken Roach

[Guest]

actually the "Master Disk emergency thing" is a pretty well documented feature ... you can find it in Appendix A (who the heck reads all the way back there?) in the Getting Results Guide for RSLogix5 ... page 110 [Adobe page 120 of 127] should get you started ... but I'd certainly recommend that you read the whole section ... this type of stuff can literally "save the day" ... and welcome to the forum, Bob ... Edited 30 Mar 2006 by Ron Beaufort

[Wordman 0]

Ken is right, you never had 2 licenses before, you were just allowed to control it at your own discretion. That's too bad too, it useful for was development

[TimWilborne 108]

Ok, many of you have pretty much taken care of this while I was typing but I'm going to post this anyway I have done a little thinking about this 2 for 1 activation issue. Let's go back, way back to a time somewhere in the late 80's to the early 90's. It was a dark time for us control people. There was no internet and definitely no forums. Back in the day when if you had a problem with a control system you picked up the phone and called that guy you ran into at last years automation expo. Then when he needed to see your code, you printed it out on your DOT Matrix printer complete with the insulated hood to keep the noise from bothering your neighbors, took it too your Fax machine, some of you younger people may have seen one in a museum, and transmitted it to him. Then the guy calls you back and says the fax machine ran out of paper and asks you to send it again. He then types it into is much faster 486SX and simulates your problem. Two days later, he calls you on the phone and tells you how to fix it. And you think wow that was fast, I would have been here for weeks trying to figure it out. Then you run to the customer to make the program change. As you are unlocking your car, you realize you have left you programming cable on the desk. Since you laptop weighs 25 pounds, you decide to set it beside the car while you run in to get the cable. In a hurry since you customer is down, you run back out and hop in the car, start it, put it into reverse and nail the gas. Just as the car starts to move, you realize OH NO, I left the laptop on the ground!!! Though only seconds are involved, time stands still. It seems like minutes have passed. You try to hit the brake but it is too late. Yep, you just ran over your laptop. After several minutes of extreme cussing, you begin to panic. What are you going to do, you are one of the privileged ones who owns a laptop (tumble weed rolls by). Then, you suddenly remember, you were out with a friend just last week and he was bragging that he had one of the new Pentium processor in his laptop. Although you would normally be too proud to ask him to borrow it, you swallow your pride and call him. You go get the laptop, and after 30 minutes of hearing him brag about how fast it is, you finally leave with the laptop and head back to the office. You pull out the 3-1/2" floppies and think by this software takes up a lot more hard drive now compared to what it used to. You take the 10 floppy disks out and begin loading them. It gets near the end; your heart is racing since the customer is waiting for you then the installation ask you if you would like to activate your software. Oh no, what am I going to do, my activation was on my old laptop. Now you really begin panicking (if you smoke you're on pack number 3). Frantically you call around but no one has activation available. Who you going to call? No, not the Ghostbusters, you call your local Allen Bradley office. It's like a 911 on that new show that started last week, Rescue 911 that is for you youngsters, the AB guy tells you to calm down and speak slower. After you babble for 15 minutes, you run out of breath and finally the AB guy gets a word in. AB guy – That's not a problem Sir, we anticipated just this type of thing happening. Just put your empty Master Disk in your computer and your software will work. You thank him tremendously and tell him how grateful you are that they included this feature. You begin to celebrate, you break out the champagne, there is confetti coming out of the ceiling and suddenly you realize the customer. You run out to the car making sure you do not set the laptop down, run into the plant and fix the machine. You're a hero and thanks to Rockwell anticipating just this type of thing, the day is saved. But it sure was a pain having to put the Master disk in, start the software, then put you program disk in to open the file. You think, when I buy my new laptop, I'm going to get that 100mb hard drive so I don't have to put these projects on floppy disk. But those were the old days. Back when a Coke cost 50 cents. Back in the day when the pace of life was so much slower and things were so simple. But time marches on, now we have the internet and this wonderful forum. Lose your activation, go to the web and get you a reset code. Your company has grown so much. You know you need to buy another license for your software but you haven't had the time and don't want to spend the money. Then one day, the same old customer calls and says he would like you to make a change on that machine you put in 16 years ago. You grab your brand new Gateway laptop complete with 2000 gigabyte hard drive, 27 USB ports and that 32" flat screen. And of course you don't forget your USB to Floppy adapter and your master disk. You go to move the master disk and realize someone else has the actual activation file. You think, may be I already have a copy on this PC. You start the software and it runs. Then you get to the customer, open up the software and it doesn't run. Well that's no big deal. I brought the Master Disk with me, I can just reset it. You plug it in and think, let me try opening it again before I reset it. WOW, it works. I never knew you could use the empty Master Disk to get the software running (remember, it's been 16 years and many projects to go). And you think, how about that, Rockwell gives us two activations for the price of one. You and your customer proudly look and that machine you built 16 years ago and he pats you on the back and say "That sure has been a good machine, but do you remember what all the chaos was about you installed it?" You think back but it has been so long ago you can't remember… Ron Beaufort – How did I do? Edited 30 Mar 2006 by TWControls

[Guest]

pretty good for a rough draft ... but where's the part about: the sun is shining ... the birds are singing ... life is lovely ... just joking of course ... we can't all have a poetic nature ...

[TimWilborne 108]

I haven't aquired my poetic nature yet and didn't want to steal yours

[Ken Roach 194]

Ladies and gentlemen, Garrison Keillor. Bob, I know plenty of customers who have used well-understood diskette duplication techniques to, er, "multiply their software investment". It's true that FactoryTalk Activation will affect those nefarious techniques as well as the more common "twofer" simultaneous activations. I know that FT activation will frustrate some legitimate users, but I am really enthusiastic about the fact that it's nearly indestructible. Because the activation code is literally a text string (albeit a very long one) it can be printed, e-mailed, faxed, IM'ed, written down, or sent by dogsled. No more losing the activation disk, no more "all I did was upgrade my OS" failures, no more "I don't have a floppy available for this computer" threads on MrPLC. FT Activation also makes temporary and time-limited activations for demo, emergency and test purposes very easy to do.

[BobLfoot 301]

I think TW makes an excellent point. The two activation schema was known by Rockwell and actually taught by Company reps as acceptable practice when we purchased RSLogix so many years ago in 2001. Edited 1 Apr 2006 by BobLfoot